Hand-Held Refractometers from Coolant Consultants, Inc.

REFRACTOMETERS  

Refractometers are hand held, lightweight, portable instruments used to determine the concentration of water soluble fluids such as machine tool coolants, heat treating fluids, hydraulic fluids, plating baths, detergents, antifreeze, battery acid, bodily fluids, etc.

Refractometers are very easy to use.  Just place a few drops of fluid on the prism and hold the unit up to a light source. Look into the eyepiece and read the scale.  To calibrate, just make sure the prism is clean and place a few drops of tap water on the prism.  The separation line should be on zero.  If not, turn the adjustment screw until it is.

Remember, refractometers read on a Brix scale rather than actual percent.  To get the actual percent, you must multiply the refractometer reading by your coolant's refractive index (on product data sheet).  With most soluble oils the index is 1, so a refractometer reading of 5 multiplied by an index of 1 = 5% concentration.  However, many semi-synthetics, synthetics, grinding fluids, and some soluble oils can have a refractive index from 1.5 to 3.  So a refractometer reading of 5 multiplied by an index of 1.75 = 8.75% concentration.  This is most critical with solutions designed to be run at lower concentrations which have high indexes.

Another often ignored but very important factor is the difference between "working" concentration and "make-up" concentration.  The fluid in your tank is the working solution and should be at the recommended concentration.  But when adding make-up fluid to the tank, you must allow for evaporation of the water over time from the working solution. Typically the make up should be added at 1/2 the recommended "working" concentration.  But there are many variables which affect this relationship, and every machine in the shop will be different.  So the best course of action is to monitor the fluid in the tank with a refractometer and adjust the make up fluid leaner or richer to maintain proper working concentration in the tank.

Maintaining the proper concentration of your cutting and grinding fluids can save you money!  First, you'll eliminate "rich" solutions that waste coolant, leave sticky/oily residues, and possibly cause operator health problems.  Second, by eliminating "lean" solutions, you'll extend tool life, limit biological growth, and reduce machine and parts corrosion problems.

NOTE:  ATC or Automatic Temperature Compensation models allow for changes in the ambient working temperature without recalibration.

Westover RHB-32ATC Refractometer

Old Style & New Style Daylight Plates

   WESTOVER Refractometers

   Features and Models

   Replacement parts available

MISCO Digital Refractometers

The new Palm Abbe is a fourth-generation digital handheld refractometer that puts laboratory precision in the palm of your hand. Not just laboratory precision, but laboratory precision for the price of a traditional analog refractometer. It is exactly the kind of bold, cutting-edge technology you would expect from MISCO, the company that pioneered the digital handheld refractometer.

The Palm Abbe refractometer is fast, convenient, and easy to use. Simply place a drop or two of fluid in the well and press a button on the key-pad. The custom-designed microprocessor delivers a nearly instantaneous readout in refractive index, degrees Brix, or any one of a thousand different units of measure, allowing you to read directly in the units you desire. Nonlinear temperature compensation is automatic and insures that fluids read between 0 and 50 °C (+32 to 122 °F) are measured accurately.

The large dual-line LCD display is easily read, even in dim light, and removes the subjectivity associated with interpreting where a boundary line crosses tiny scale divisions.  And, it is so easy to use! The user interface consists of two buttons, one to take readings and the other to step through various menu options.

Misco Palm Abbe Digital Refractometer

Misco Palm Abbe PA201 SPECIFICATIONS

Misco Palm Abbe Digital Refractometer

MISCO PA202X Palm Abbe Digital Refractometer

The PA202X Palm Abbe Digital Refractometer is custom programmed with two scales.  You can test ONE substance with TWO scales, or you can test TWO substances with one scale.  Some available models are:

Palm Abbe Rubber Armor Jackets

Misco Palm Abbe Rubber Armor Jacket

Adding a Rubber Armor Jacket to a Palm Abbe refractometer increases its durability and provides a better grip.  Made of high-grade silicone rubber, the Rubber Armor Jacket is custom fit and will help protect your Palm Abbe from minor bumps and scratches.

Custom contoured bumpers provide a soft, firm grip while also adding additional shock protection.  The Rubber Armor Jacket is soft to the touch and fits the Palm Abbe like a glove.  It is easily slid over the refractometer and does not have to be removed before use.

The durable jacket is tear and chemical resistant and weighs only 1.8 oz. (51 grams).  There is even a hole on top for a carabiner (included) so that you can hang the Palm Abbe refractometer from your belt loop.  The form-fitting Rubber Armor Jacket fits the Palm Abbe PA201, PA202, and PA203 series instruments and comes in three colors (black, gray, and safety orange).

Although the Rubber Armor Jacket is not guaranteed to completely protect your instrument from damage due to shocks and impacts, it does provide an additional layer of protection and provides a better grip to help you avoid dropping it in the first place.

Order one today and get a better grip on your refractometer.